Coupler support structure



April 16, 1968 E. J. CORDANI 3,378,150

COUPLER SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed April 1, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

INVENTORf EUGENE JQCORDANI ATTORNEY April 16, 1968 E. J. CORDANI COUPLER SUPPORT STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1. 1966 April 16, 1958 E. J. CORDANI r 3,378,150

COUPLER SUPPORT STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 1, 1966 April 16, 1968 E. J. CORDANI 3,378,150

COUPLER SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed April 1. 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 i| Pill! J United States Patent 3,378,150 COUPLER SUPPORT STRUCTURE Eugene J. Cordani, Florissant, Mo., assignor to ACF Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 539,436 4 Claims. (Cl. 213--61) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coupler carrier for a railway car pivotally mounted on the center sill and supporting the shank of a coupler. The main body portion of the coupler carrier has a plurality of lugs extending downwardly from the underside thereof and a rod is pivotally connected to each lug. The rods extend downwardly to a support and coil springs about the rods continuously urge the coupler carrier upwardly about its pivotal axis.

Background and description of the invention Couplers of the so-called P type (American Association of Railroads designation) are mounted for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis in order to swing laterally. Further, such couplers are mounted for a limited downward vertical movement as much as two and one-half (2 /2) inches at the coupler carrier. Conventional coupler carriers usually comprise an upper channel-shaped body supporting the coupler shank with a plurality of coil compression springs mounted beneath the channel-shaped body and urging the carrier upwardly. In the event of a partial or total failure of the springs, the coupler carriers heretofore would tilt or cock to provide an unlevel bearing surface for the coupler shank. Upon swinging of the couplers, it was difficult heretofore for the couplers to return to original position upon failure of some of the springs, and at times, the prior couplers would be trapped in an extreme lateral position in the mouth of the center sill.

The present invention provides a coupler carrier having a level bearing surface for the coupler shank under substantially all conditions of use, even in the event of partial failure of the spring mechanism. The coupler carrier is mounted for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis and has a main body supporting the coupler shank and being continuously urged upwardly by spring means beneath the main body portion. The spring means comprises coil springs which are mounted about rods connected to the underside of the main body portion. The rods act to guide and stabilize the coil springs. A lower spring support is secured between the sides of the side sills beneath the main body portion and the coil springs are compressed about the rods between the support and the main body support to continuously urge the coupler carrier upwardly. The lower ends of the rods fit through openings inthe support which act as guides for the rods, and stops are mounted on the rods to engage the support for limiting the upward movement of the rods. At least one of the rods has an adjustable stop which permits the coupler carrier to be accurately positioned upon initial assembly of the coupler carrier to the center sill.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a coupler carrier which does not tilt or cant upon total or partial failure of the spring mechanism biasing the carrier upwardly.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a coupler carrier biased upwardly by a spring mechanism which is exposed externally to minimize the possibility of spring failure from accumulated foreign matter.

An additional object is the provision of such a spring 3,378,156 Patented Apr. 16, 1965 mechanism for a pivoted coupler carrier in which thr springs are easily assembled with the coupler and stabi lized.

The invention accordingly comprises the construction: hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIGURE 1 is a partial front elevation of an end of a railway flat car having a coupler supported by the present invention, the coupler shank being indicated in section FIGURE 2 is a top plan of the structure shown ir FIGURE 1, certain parts being broken away and showr in section;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section of the coupler support structure shown in FIGURES 1 and 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial front elevation similar to FIG- URE 1 but showing the coupler carrier in a lowered position and moved laterally.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, an underframe for a railway flat car is indicated generally 10 and has a. center sill structure indicated generally 12. Center sill structure 12 is generally hat-shaped to form outwardly extending lower flanges 14 and has sides flaring outwardly at 16 adjacent its outer end to receive a coupler 18. An upper deck plate 17 extends over center sill 12. A coupler shank 20 is pivotally connected by a vertical pin 22 to yoke 24. Mounted within yoke 24 is a suitable draft gear arrangement indicated generally 26 and having a plurality of rubber pads and metal discs. A front follower block 28 engages front stops 30 secured to the inner surface of center sill structure 12 and yoke 24 extends about rear follower block 31. Coupler 18 is adapted to swing laterally about vertical pin 22 about thirteen (13) degrees to each side of the longitudinal axis of underframe 10. Also, coupler 18 may move downwardly in a vertical direction a distance of around two and one-half (2 /2) inches at the end of center sill structure 12.

Secured to the extending flared end of center sill structure 12 are angle shaped reinforcing members 32 forming laterally extending flanges 34 along each side of center sill structure 12. A channel-shaped end sill 36 extends from each side of center sill structure 12 and is welded to center sill structure. Extending across the bottom of center sill structure 12 between reinforcing members 32 to complete a box shaped frame is a Z-shaped support generally indicated 38 having a generally horizontal Web 39 welded at its ends to the sides of center sill structure 12. A downward leg 40 extends vertically downwardly from web 39 and an upturned leg 44 extends upwardly from web 39.

Extending downwardly from the underside of each outturned flange 14 of center sill structure 12 is a lug 45. Mounted for pivotal movement on lug 45 and comprising an important feature of this invention is a coupler carrier generally indicated at 46. Carrier 4-6 has a main body portion 48 with a wear strip 50 on the upper surface thereof in contact with and supporting coupler shank 20. An arm 52 extends from each side of body portion 48 and has a pin 54 pivotally connected to an adjacent lug 45. A stop 56 is secured to the inner surface of each angle shaped reinforcing member 32 and engages the underside of main body portion 48 upon downward movement thereof a distance of around two and one-half (2 /2) inches.

Extending downwardly from the underside of body portion 48 is a plurality of lugs 58. Pivotally mounted to each lug 58 is a rod 60 having an outturned end 62 fitting Within an adjacent lug S8 and forming a pivot. To bias :arrier 46 upwardly continuously, a coil spring 64 is nounted about each rod 60 and is compressed between 7Vb 39 of Z-shaped support 38 and a stop washer 66 iecured to rod 60. The lower ends of rods 60 extend :hrough openings 67 in web 39. To restrain upward movenent of rods 60, rods 60 adjacent the sides of center sill :tructure 12 have stop washers 68 secured thereto and engaging the underside of web 39. Intermediate rod 60 has i nut 70 threaded on the lower end thereof which is iniiially adjusted for fixing the height of coupler carrier 46 lpon initial assembly of the coupler carrier. After the :oupler carrier 46 has been initially positioned by adjustment of nut 70, washers 68 are secured to the side rods 50. Flange 40 acts as a protective cover for the lower ends at rods 60 and nut 70.

In the event of failure or partial failure of one spring 64 the remaining springs 64 exert a generally uniform force against carrier 46 to urge the carrier upwardly. Springs 64 are exposed and may be visually inspected to determine failure. Also, since springs 64 are not enclosed, a minimum of foreign matter is collected by the springs. A relatively small frictional force is obtained upon pivoting of the coupler carrier thereby permitting a maximum effectiveness of springs 64.

From the foregoing, it is to be understood that a novel coupler carrier has been provided which is pivoted adiacent opposite sides of a center sill structure and is continuously biased in an upward direction by spring mounted plungers connected to the underside of the main body portion of the coupler carrier.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results obtained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A coupler structure for a railway car comprising, a vertically movable coupler mounted within the open end of a center sill about a generally vertical axis for swinging lateral movement, a coupler carrier having a main body portion supporting the coupler shank and extending generally across the open end of the center sill beneath the coupler, an arm adjacent each end of the main body portion extending generally inwardly of the center sill, means on the underside of the center sill mounting the arms for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis to provide a pivotal movement of the coupler carrier in a generally vertical direction, a support secured between the sides of said center sill beneath said main body por- 4 tion, a plurality of downwardly extending lugs on the underside of said main body portion, a plurality of rods pivotally connected to said lugs and extending downwardly to said support, and a coil spring about each rod compressed between the support and main body portion to continuously urge the main body portion upwardly about its pivotal axis to resiliently maintain the coupler shank in a generally horizontal plane.

2. A coupler structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein stops are secured to said center sill to limit the downward pivotal movement of .the coupler carrier.

3. A coupler structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein a spring retainer is secured to each rod, said coil springs being compressed between the spring retainers on said rods and said support to urge the rods and main body portion upwardly, and means to limit the upward movement of said rods.

4. A coupler structure for a railway car comprising, a vertically movable coupler mounted within the open end of a center sill about a generally vertical axis for swinging lateral movement, a coupler carrier having a main body portion supporting the coupler shank and extending generally across the open end of the center sill beneath the coupler, an arm adjacent each end of the main body portion extending generally inwardly of the center sill, means on the underside of the center sill mounting the arms for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis to provide a pivotal movement of the coupler carrier in a generally vertical direction, a support secured between the sides of said center sill beneath said main body portion, a plurality of downwardly extending lugs on the underside of said main body portion, a plurality of rods pivotally connected to said lugs and extending downwardly to said support, a coil spring about each rod compressed between the support and main body portion to continuously urge the main body portion upwardly about its pivotal axis to resiliently maintain the coupler shank in a generally horizontal plane, and a stop on each of said rods adapted to engage the underside of said support to limit the upward movement of said rods, at least one of said stops being adjustable vertically on its associated rod to permit upon assembly of the coupler carrier an initial positioning of said rods and said main body portion until the remaining stops may be positioned on said rods.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,956,693 10/1960 Blattner 213-72 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Examiner. 

